Update on swollen foot!

[lightbread47]

About 2 years ago, I had a bantam rooster. Something happened to his foot and it swelled up like the pictures that you have. I took him back to where I got him from and the man said he had some kind of mites. He said to spray WD-40 on it everyday until it went away. He (my rooster) didnt like the noise the can made, but it helped his foot get better. Im not saying that krispy has mites, but it might be something else to explore if it doesnt start healing.
Good luck with her

 

[Attack Chicken]

If it doesn't get better by saturday I'm still taking her to a poultry show and having my friend examine her. Hopefully it is less serious than bumblefoot.

 

[dlhunicorn]

their feet look irritated (the red color)... and seeing as you say they do not have anything to roost on I suspect something re their environment (damp) is contributing to this.
I suggest you get something (be creative and use what you have to hand if necessary) to allow them to spend some time off the ground and if you can move the pen to another area to see if that helps the irritation. You can also dig a bit of a "pit" and fill with course sand (this is also easy to replace regular and clean out poos and such)... for the inside of your "coop" you can line with boxes (FREE) that you have taken apart and use that as a lining... it will soak up the damp and being free you can replace easily once it is damp .

 

[Jenski]

Bumblefoot (staph infection of the foot) can be hard to clear up. I agree with dlhunicorn about giving those feet a break.

Here's some info from the Merck Vet Manual ~

http://www.merckvetmanual.com/mvm/index.jsp?cfile=htm/bc/204200.htm

All avian species appear to be susceptible to staphylococcosis, which is common worldwide wherever poultry are reared. Staphylococcus aureus is usually the causative agent, but there is increasing evidence that other Staphylococcus species may also be involved. The disease condition can vary depending on where and how the bacteria enter the host; infections have been reported in the bones, joints, tendon sheaths, skin, sternal bursa, navel, yolk sac, liver, lungs, and eyelids. Septicemic infection has also been seen in laying chickens, with death occurring very quickly.

Etiology:
S aureus is a gram-positive coccus that appears in grape-like clusters on a stained smear. It is usually isolated on blood agar, on which it produces circular, smooth, white to orange colonies, 1-3 mm in diameter, within 24 hr. S aureus is facultatively anaerobic, â hemolytic, catalase positive, fermentative for glucose and mannitol, and coagulase positive. For many years, only coagulase-positive strains were considered to be of any clinical significance; however, in recent years, S hyicus , S epidermidis , and S gallinarum have been isolated from clinical materials.

Transmission, Epidemiology, and Pathogenesis:
S aureus and other Staphylococcus species are part of the normal flora on the skin and mucous membranes and are not thought to produce disease unless there is some breakdown in an environmental or immune system barrier. Most infections occur because of a wound, damage to the mucous membranes, or both. Infection can also occur in the hatchery as a result of contamination of an open navel. Birds that are immunosuppressed are also subject to staphylococcal infections. Staphylococcal septicemia is usually seen in laying chickens only in very hot weather. Once in the host, S aureus usually travels to the metaphyseal area of a nearby joint and causes osteomyelitis with subsequent spread to the joint. S aureus can produce disease locally at the site of entry, but the tendency to spread to the bones and joints is probably the most important feature of this disease.

Clinical Findings:
Infection most often manifests as a synovitis, with lameness being the most common clinical presentation. The bones and associated joints most frequently affected are the proximal tibiotarsus and proximal femur; the proximal tarsometatarsus, distal femur, and tibiotarsus are also involved when infection is extensive. Other common lesions include navel and yolk sac infections. Lesions that have been reported include green liver in turkeys, and liver spots and granulomas. In acute infections, mortality may be the only clinical observation.

Lesions:
Lesions in the bone are focal yellow areas of necrosis, while lesions in joints consist of purulent exudate. Chicks with navel infection have navel areas that are dark and wet. Infected yolk sacs are retained longer than normal and are abnormal in color, consistency, and odor. Gangrenous dermatitis is seen in chickens that are immunosuppressed and is a combination of S aureus and Clostridium septicum . Affected areas are usually dark (hemorrhagic) and crepitant. Green liver has been a problem in turkeys and has been associated with osteomyelitis and synovitis at the processing plant. Liver spots and granulomas have been a cause of liver condemnation. In acute infections, necrosis and vascular congestion is observed in the liver, spleen, and/or kidneys.

Diagnosis:
S aureus is easily isolated from stab swabs of affected material on sheep or bovine blood agar. Most strains of S aureus are â hemolytic, while most other strains of Staphylococcus are not. Swabs can be streaked onto selective media such as mannitol-salt agar or phenylethyl alcohol agar. These media inhibit the growth of gram-negative bacteria. The coagulase test is used to establish the significance of an isolate; only coagulase-positive isolates are considered to be pathogenic. Differential diagnosis includes Escherichia coli and Pasteurella multocida .

Treatment and Prevention:
Staphylococcosis can be successfully treated with antibiotics, but a sensitivity test should be performed because antibiotic resistance is common. Antibiotics used to treat Staphylococcus infections include penicillin, erythromycin, lincomycin, and spectinomycin. Because wounds are a major cause of infection, it is important to reduce all potential sources of injury (eg, sharp objects) to the bird. Splinters in litter, sharp rocks, wire from cages, sharp edges or nails on floor slats, and fighting have been associated with the disease, as well as beak and toe trimming procedures in young chickens and turkeys. Good litter management is important in controlling foot- pad erosions to prevent infection. Hatchery sanitation is also important to reduce the numbers of bacteria, including S aureus, which is a hearty bacterium that can be difficult to kill using normal sanitation procedures. Bacterins have not been effective against S aureus , but there have been reports that competitive exclusion using a strain of S epidermidis has been effective in young, growing turkeys.

Zoonotic Risk:
S aureus can cause food poisoning. Enterotoxin-producing strains are found on poultry, and proper precautions should be taken during handling and cooking.

 

[Attack Chicken]

It worked! the honey and vasoline worked!! Just today when I changed her bootys and bandages,the bumble or boil was at the top! all I did was pop it with a clean needle and all of the stuff inside oozed. It bled for a little bit but soon stopped by holding pressure. I put some bactrisin on the spot and wrapped her back up. Hopefully its alot better tomarrow since that boil is out of her foot.Im SO happy!!!